We’re in the true heyday of accessible gaming. You can game on anything from your handheld console, like the Steam Deck, to your phone, like the Pixel 8 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro, with the extra benefit of a mobile controller like the Backbone One. But let’s ignore hardware for the most part because, thanks to the multitude of cloud gaming services available, you won’t have to worry about SSD space or even the specs of your machine save for its WiFi capabilities.
So much of what you’ll get out of cloud gaming depends on your internet connection. Most of these services will tell you that if you’re using a 10 or 15-Mbps connection, you won’t be able to support any game without a lot of choppiness and odd visual hiccups. Better, you would want a connection at 20 or 25 Mbps up through 50 Mbps to assume you’ll receive a clear picture despite any random dips in your internet speed (especially if you want to try higher resolutions at more FPS). You also need to consider your WiFi signal and the impact of latency on your experience. Most services recommend a base 5Ghz signal but more is obviously better. At best, you’d want a PC that supports WiFi 6E or WiFi 7, or you should opt for a wired connection.
It’s why the term “on-the-go gaming with streaming” is a bit of a misnomer, as your average hotel WiFi probably isn’t up to snuff to handle any game with a lot going on. But if you’re more interested in playing a turn-based game like Baldur’s Gate III on GeForce Now (Larian bosses have said they won’t find the title of Game Pass anytime soon, or ever), you probably won’t be impacted by lag spikes as much as you would with an FPS multiplayer title.
And that’s all before you consider what service best suits your needs. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate currently sits at the top of the ladder since it’s an all-in-one experience allowing you to play a motley of current titles without having to buy them separately. Then again, GeForce Now is an excellent option if you have access to a strong Steam or Epic Games Store library. And then you could look at something like Shadow, which allows you access to a fully working PC to effectively use how you wish (though still under a fair number of constraints).
You probably won’t pay for multiple game streaming services like you do for watching your favorite movies or shows. It’s best to pick one and stick with it now unless circumstances change.
And that’s where we come in. We’ve ranked the current list of services from best to worst based on the games on offer and the quality of the service. Despite that, none of what’s currently on offer is a one-size-fits-all. Better still, you should use this list as a jumping-off point to see how each might fit into your life.
Update 3/26/24 at 8:18 a.m. ET: This post was edited to correct which games are available on GeForce Now.
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